Top Story with Tom Llamas - Wednesday, March 29, 2023

Episode Date: March 30, 2023

Video shows children running across several lanes of traffic during Nashville school shooting, 47 million people in the path of a dangerous cross-country storm, Pope Francis hospitalized in Rome after... suffering from a respiratory infection, the FBI investigating an extreme case of bullying in Georgia after a teenager was hospitalized, and why the Disney movie "Ruby Bridges" was temporarily banned at a Florida elementary school.

Transcript
Discussion (0)
Starting point is 00:00:00 Tonight, escaping a mass shooting, new video showing the panicked moments after a shooter opened fire inside a Nashville elementary school. Students seen running across several lanes of traffic and through the woods after a shooter killed six people inside their school. Tonight, we are learning more about the heroic officers who rushed in the other direction to try and stop the carnage. Plus, the latest on new gun laws moving through state and federal legislatures as lawmakers struggle to find a common path forward. A dangerous cross-country storm on the move after dumping feet of snow in California. 47 million people in its path under the threat of heavy rains, damaging winds, and possible tornadoes, the full forecast in moments. Also breaking tonight, Pope Francis hospitalized in Rome after suffering from breathing difficulties and a respiratory infection. What we're hearing from the Vatican tonight about the severity of his condition.
Starting point is 00:00:55 Mounting questions tonight after 39 migrants were killed in a fire, at a holding center in Mexico. Surveillance video appearing to show officers in uniform walking away as the fire broke out, leaving men locked in a cell. What the Mexican president is saying tonight about the ongoing investigation? What's a movie about a civil rights icon reigniting a debate over what is taught in Florida schools, why one parent pushed to have the film Ruby Bridges banned and why others are now outraged by the district's decision?
Starting point is 00:01:27 And a major update tonight in the fight against the growing. opioid epidemic, narcan, a nasal spray that can stop an overdose, now available over the counter. We'll break down everything you need to know about the life-saving drug. Top story starts right now. Good evening. I'm Ellison Barber in for Tom Yamas. We begin top story once again tonight with that horrific elementary school shooting in Nashville that left six people dead. New videos showing the panicked moments young students, ran across several lanes of traffic to escape the danger.
Starting point is 00:02:04 And tragic new details emerging about the lives lost, including Cynthia Peek, a substitute teacher who was a close friend of the First Lady of Tennessee. She was set to meet her for dinner on the night she died. Governor Bill Lee sharing that sad news on Twitter last night, also adding, there will come a time to discuss and debate policy, but this is not a time for hate or rage. But the conversation, as it often does, has already swiftly, switched to politics. President Biden reiterating a call for a total ban on assault rifles,
Starting point is 00:02:35 a proposal unlikely to pass in a divided Congress. So the issue of gun laws remains largely in the hands of the states. Nineteen of them have adopted so-called red flag laws, which allow authorities to take weapons from people deemed a risk to themselves or others. Just three of those states, however, are run by Republicans. It gives you a sense of just how partisan this issue remains. We'll have more on those legislative battles in a moment, but we begin first with the grieving community in Nashville, gathering right now to honor the lives that have been lost. Kathy Park is there and leads us off. The images from Monday's mass shooting in Nashville show young children running across a busy road,
Starting point is 00:03:15 escaping gunfire from the Covenant School. I saw these kids were screaming. They were crying, and I had no idea what was even happening. But I knew. that it wasn't good hearing the gunshots and seeing the panic in front of him Jason Hoffman knew he had to stop driving and help them get away by stopping traffic is there a moment that's kind of seared in your mind forever the teacher hugging that little girl because all I could think about was my my child in that same spot running towards a gunfire officer Michael Colazo a former Marine and Rex Engelbert a four-year veteran of the Nashville Police
Starting point is 00:03:56 Police Department. Officer Englebert's brother says that display of heroism is in their blood. Our ma always taught us to be brave and was very proud of to see how brave he was. The tragedy striking all corners of this grief-stricken community from the pastor who knew Evelyn Dickhouse and the nine-year-old's family. She's a shining light. She is just an amazing child. To the First Lady of Tennessee, losing her friend Cindy Peek, a substitute teacher. Cindy was supposed to come over to have dinner with Maria last night. Among the other victims, Hallie Scruggs, the only daughter of the pastor at Covenant Presbyterian. Mike Hill, lovingly known as Big Mike, a father to seven and grandfather to 14, and headmaster
Starting point is 00:04:45 Catherine Coons, who gave her life to protect the students she loved. And Kathy Park joins us now from Nashville. Kathy, we understand behind you a vigil. has already gotten underway. There are some powerful images of the crowd gathered there, people in the crowd already, even though it's not yet dark, holding candles, trying to honor the people who lost their lives and grieve together as a community. What else are you seeing and hearing? Ellison, you probably heard the music there. You have artists performing as a part of this candlelight vigil as well. As you heard there, Arthur has. This is a time of tragedy.
Starting point is 00:05:28 It's the community coming together, united in grief. You have hundreds in the crowd right now. You have dignitaries who are coming together. Dr. Biden also right by the podium there. And earlier today, she did stop by the Covenant School. We saw her placing flowers by some of the crosses left behind by members of the community honoring the six lives lost.
Starting point is 00:05:52 The three young lives, students, all just nine years. is nine years old. Kathy, you have been on the ground in Nashville reporting on this for days. You have spoken to so many people in this community, hearing that one man in your piece choke up, talking about seeing a teacher, holding the little girl, and feeling like it could be his daughter. There are people around this country looking at that image and feeling the same way. But as you have spoken to people in this community, what stands out to you from the conversations
Starting point is 00:06:24 you've been having. Yeah, I think my conversation with Jason Hoff, and he heard there in my piece, really struck me because he says now he's questioning his own son's school about security, especially in the wake of this tragedy. He says this is just quite unthinkable that would happen at his own backyard. He is a lifelong Nashville resident.
Starting point is 00:06:49 Other folks I spoke with, just being on the ground right by the growing memorial. You can just feel the heaviness in their hearts, even if they have no direct connection to the church and school. They are just overcome by grief. But as you can see behind me, this community is resilient. They're coming together during the time of aid. Allison, thank you, Kathy. We appreciate you being there and sharing these stories.
Starting point is 00:07:12 This latest mass shooting drawing the all too familiar battle lines over stricter gun laws with each side sticking to their arguments. There's considerable questions about what reformed. can actually be made. NBC's Peter Alexander has the latest. Just hours after gunfire echoed through that Nashville school, renewed pleas for action. I don't have any more tears, y'all. President Biden repeating his call to ban so-called assault weapons. Why in God's name do we allow these weapons at war on our streets
Starting point is 00:07:43 and at our schools? But Republicans have a different view, including mass shooting survivors Steve Scalise. All they want to do is take guns away from law-abiding citizens, before they even know the facts. The reality tonight, any gun legislation has little chance of passing Congress. If you think Washington's going to fix this problem, you're wrong. That vacuum has left states to take action, including Colorado that's witnessed mass shootings at Club Q, Aurora, and Columbine. Lawmakers there advancing a bill to expand red flag laws empowering more people to petition a judge
Starting point is 00:08:16 to confiscate guns from those who present a danger to themselves or others. In Illinois, after that July 4th parade shooting, Democratic lawmakers approved an assault weapons ban that now faces legal challenges. But in Florida, leading Republicans are pushing to allow gun owners to carry weapons without a permit. Andrew Pollack's daughter Meadow was killed by a teen gunman at Florida's Stoneman Douglas High School. He says weapons bans are not the answer to stopping mass shootings. It's easy to just say that let's just ban rifles instead of looking into the failures that led up to it. He wants more armed security at schools and more restrictions for those with mental health issues. You want to fix a lot of the shootings in this country, prevent the mentally ill from being able to purchase the rifle.
Starting point is 00:09:06 It really, really, really just, it just pains me to see that here we are again. Zaneta Everhart's son Zaire incredibly survived last year's mass shooting at Buffalo's top supermarket after being shot in the neck. She's demanding tougher gun restrictions like an assault weapons ban. What is the solution here in your view? It's simply the guns. That's the problem. But our lawmakers don't want to solve the problem. And that's what it looks like. It looks like they just don't care.
Starting point is 00:09:39 And Peter joins us now on set. Peter, we have heard the White House say, look, the way government works, there's only so much we can do here. We need Congress to act. I think we heard Corrine Jean-Pierre say that very recently. We did see, also recently, President Biden signing an executive order. His administration said would, among other things, boost background checks. Is that all that he can do here, or is there more potentially we could see with the White House do? You know, Alison, at this point, President Biden says he is effectively powerless to do anything more on the issue of guns.
Starting point is 00:10:10 He says he is basically exhausted all of the executive authority that he has on this issue. He says it's now in the hands of Congress. But even today, leading Republicans are saying it would be premature to have a real discussion about new gun laws because the investigation into what happened in Nashville is still ongoing. Peter Alexander, thank you. We turn now to the ongoing severe weather across the country. The 13th Atmospheric River of the season blasting through Northern California, causing travel chaos and shutting down parts of interstate 80.
Starting point is 00:10:43 Drivers stranded in the record-breaking snow. And in Berkeley Hills, hail, rain, and thunder pelting the already battered state. For more on this storm system as it marches east NBC news meteorologist Bill Cairns joins us. Bill, what's the latest on the track here? Finally, this storm is going to be on the move and give California a break. But once it gets into the middle of the country, especially Friday, watch out. So the storm now, you can see the spin just to. off the coastline of San Francisco, eventually this will move through. So the rest of the afternoon
Starting point is 00:11:13 into the evening in California, we will see hitting miss showers and thunderstorms, maybe some small hail, but that'd be about it. Then we get a little bit of a break tomorrow. Let me some snow in the high elevations of a lot of the four-corner regions, the typical snow areas. But I'll fast forward this all the way out the Thursday evening. Not a lot going on, just a little bit of rain here, Minneapolis, Des Moines, but then by the time we go through Friday afternoon, that's when we see all the humidity increasing, and then the thunderstorms just erupt. The storm gets very strong. And all the bright red on this map is areas where we could have thunderstorms and maybe even tornado. So we're talking areas around the Quad Cities heading into southern
Starting point is 00:11:45 Wisconsin, almost all of Illinois, the St. Louis area, back down through the Mississippi River, Memphis. Watch out around Little Rock. And then all of these storms, as we go through Friday evening, will plow to the east, not weakening probably until about midnight. So keep that in mind for your travel plans, 48 hours from now, especially here in the Midwest and the southern portions of the Tennessee Valley heading down the Mississippi. So let's clean this map up a little bit for you. This is 47 million people are at risk, and I think we'll probably see this increase to a moderate risk of severe storms. Isolated tornadoes will be possible. Hopefully not any strong ones like we just had in Mississippi, but it is possible. And then on top of all
Starting point is 00:12:19 of this misery, the cold side of the storm is likely to produce blizzard conditions. Yes, blizzard conditions when you wake up on April Fool's Day, Saturday morning. Minneapolis, you are under a winter storm watch. I apologize. It's what anyone wants heading in the spring, but at least seven inches in a few areas. We could see nearly a foot. in areas of Wisconsin-Eleason. So that's just, that's just me. Oh, all right. Bill Cairns, thank you. We appreciate it. We are also following some breaking news. Overseas, Pope Francis, was hospitalized today for a respiratory infection after experiencing breathing difficulties.
Starting point is 00:12:53 The Vatican now canceling his engagements for the next two days. And Thompson has more. This morning, at his weekly general audience, Pope Francis appeared to be in good form and voice. Perhaps the only hint of trouble reports he grimaced getting in and out of the Popemobile. That didn't stop Francis from the part of his job he clearly enjoys. But later, he was taken to Jameli Hospital for what the Vatican says is a respiratory infection that caused the 86-year-old pontiff breathing difficulties in recent days. The Vatican was quick to say this is not COVID.
Starting point is 00:13:34 NBC's Claudio Lavanga is in Vatican City. The day started as every Wednesday at the Vatican with the Pope presiding over the general audience in St. Peter Square looking perfectly fine. So we were surprised when only a couple of hours later, the Vatican said he was staking to the hospital for some pre-scheduled medical tests. But then, as rumors began to build, at the end of the day, the Vatican said that in fact he has a respiratory infection. As a young man, Francis had part of one lung removed while he was a seminarian in Argentina suffering from pneumonia. Kne pain has forced him to use a wheelchair in the past year, and he underwent colon surgery in 2021 when he was hospitalized for 10 days. Today, while meeting with Argentina's president, President Joe Biden told reporters he had just heard about the Pope's health issues. The president, a lifelong Catholic who keeps a picture of Francis in the Oval Office, told reporters he was concerned about the man he calls a dear friend. And we are very fortunate to have Ann Thompson here with us in studio live. And listening to your report, do you get any sort of sense from the Vatican in terms of how long Pope Francis might be in the hospital? I mean, it sounds like we didn't get everything information-wise to begin with.
Starting point is 00:14:53 Did they know this was going to be as serious as it was? No, I think everybody is surprised by this. And they've said a few days or several days, depending on the Italian translation, that you believe. but the key is that they haven't put out a timeline. And this is a very busy time of year for Pope Francis. Starting on Sunday begins Holy Week with the Palm Sunday Mass, and then he's expected to be. He washes feet on Holy Thursday. There's the carrying of the cross on Good Friday. He says Easter Sunday Mass and then gives this city and the world's blessing afterwards. And so it's a really big week, but the Vatican has yet to put out any kind of timeline. All we do know is that his
Starting point is 00:15:37 meetings have been canceled for the rest of the week. He's talked about some of his health issues in the past. What has he said when he's addressed things like this before? Well, he said that he's in good health for a man of his age. He's 86. And I think that's really the thing that worries people here because he is getting on in age. And as we can all see, he's having trouble getting around because of that knee pain. It's why he uses a wheel. But he says he's in good health, and he's said in the past that his health certainly is no impediment to being Pope, being the leader of 1.2 billion Catholics. But he also said to the Associated Press back in January when he spoke to them that this colon surgery that he had back in 2021, the bulges that
Starting point is 00:16:25 were in his intestines, he said had come back. That's concerning, but that's not the problem. at least as we know it now, it is a respiratory infection, although not COVID. Okay. Ann Thompson, thank you so much. We appreciate it. Outrage is growing in Mexico following the release of video inside that migrant center fire that killed dozens of people. Today, Mexico's president, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, addressed the mounting questions
Starting point is 00:16:53 and promised a transparent investigation. We should warn you, the video is difficult to watch. Gabe Gutierrez has the latest. Tonight there are new questions about this surveillance video showing the moment the deadly fire erupted at that migrant holding center in Siouxan Juarez, Mexico. The video given to our partners at Telemundo by a worker in the facility capturing the moment uniformed officials seemed to walk away as flames break out in a corner, leaving a group of men in what appears to be a locked cell. Helpless, one man seen kicking the door as smoke spreads quickly. Authorities say 38 people were killed. dozens more injured. These are newly released images of the migrants inside the facility
Starting point is 00:17:34 before it went up in flame. Now loved ones are demanding answers. This man is searching for his friend from Venezuela. They haven't told us anything, he says. They haven't told us anything, he says. The migrants inside the facility just blocks from Juarez's border with El Paso, Texas, were from countries across Latin America, most from Guatemala, Honduras, and Venezuela. Some versions say that they'd pay an aid, and they never wanted to bring the reja to them, for fear that they'd say they're, or no see. Today, as controversy mounts, Mexico's president lashed out at reporters,
Starting point is 00:18:26 accusing them of yellow journalism, but he promised a full investigation. of the fire. Yesterday, he said that migrants had set small mattresses on fire in protest because they were told they'd be deported. In the surveillance video, you cannot see who starts the fire, but you can see mattresses in the frame. Still, some migrant advocates are pushing back on the government's narrative. The migrants that have been there before that have been processed there, they have told us
Starting point is 00:18:53 that just as a detention center, they take away and remove all type of items. So usually a minor doesn't have anything with them that could start a fire. And say these facilities are often overcrowded and inhumane. That's the word that came to me and too many. Inhumane. I was there and I could hear the screaming from a block away. And as we were walking towards this building, we could hear the screams. We weren't aware yet that they had been locked inside.
Starting point is 00:19:23 Gabe Gutierrez joins us now. Gabe, Mexican officials have said, many of the migrants here were on their way to the United States. Have we heard anything from American officials? Well, U.S. Customs and Border Protection just released a statement saying that it was saddened by the tragic fire and that it is prepared to offer humanitarian parole on a case-by-case basis to any migrants who were injured and who might need medical care here in the U.S. You listen to all of those people in your piece, that one man saying, I don't know where he is, I don't know if he's in the hospital, if he's burned. I just don't know. So many people
Starting point is 00:19:55 desperately looking for answers and still without them. Have Mexican authorities given any update? Yeah, there's a lot of frustration down in Mexico. And also in parts of the United States that more answers haven't been provided. But Mexico's president, Lopez Obrador, has insisted and has promised a transparent investigation. And he says that Mexico's security minister will brief reporters later tonight on the latest in the investigation house. Gabe Gutierrez, thank you. Back here at home in a possible big change coming to the Guys, Congress is now considering a new law that could prevent an unruly passenger from ever flying again.
Starting point is 00:20:31 It comes after a spike in reports of passengers getting violent or combative, even attacking flight crews mid-air. NBC aviation correspondent Tom Costello has the details. Their safety has to come first. On the steps of the Capitol, flight attendants came to plead for help and tell their stories of being attacked by passengers. Southwest flight attendant Jennifer Vatalo. I was hit in the head, knocked to the ground.
Starting point is 00:20:57 Cher Taylor from Frontier Airlines was trying to stop an assault. The racial slurs continued as passengers separated. I'm still haunted by this incident. Americans Pete Enriquez attacked on a flight from Miami to London. He spat again in my face and sucker punched me in the eye. Despite an end to the controversial mask mandate, the FAA investigated 831 cases of unruly passengers last year, more than two each day. compared to 146 cases in all of 2019.
Starting point is 00:21:27 Most recently, a passenger allegedly tried to stab a flight attendant in the neck. FAA Chief Billy Nolan with Lester. If you act up in flight, we're going to come after you. While airlines routinely banned disruptive passengers new bipartisan legislation would create a national no-fly list managed by the TSA. A passenger banned on one airline would be banned on all. If you commit violence in disguise, you will know. longer fly. Make sure that those people can never come anywhere near any airport in this country
Starting point is 00:21:58 ever again. While the White House, the flight attendants unions and the pilot's union support a national do-not-fly list, some but not all airlines are on board. The question now, will Congress pass the legislation? Ellison? Tom Costello, thank you. Still ahead tonight, a brutal case of bullying in Georgia, a 19-year-old fighting for his life in the ICU. after a friend says he was forced to drink an entire bottle of vodka. The criminal investigation now underway. Plus, an attempted robbery plot falling through in Wisconsin, literally the moment a suspect hiding from police came crashing through the ceiling
Starting point is 00:22:39 and a bizarre story out of Hawaii why a group of swimmers are now being investigated for what authorities are calling dolphin harassment. Stay with us. To Georgia now, where police are investigating a disturbing case of bullying that's left one teen in a hospital. The FBI has also joined authorities to determine whether charges will ultimately be filed. NBC's Morgan Chesky has the latest, and we do want to warn you. Some of the video and images are graphic. This is Trenton-Lair Camp, a 19-year-old fighting to recover in a hospital's ICU for nearly a week,
Starting point is 00:23:19 following what police are calling a brutal case of bullying. society we should have a zero tolerance for bullying and the mistreatment of others. An incident report from the Glen County Police Department says in the middle of the night, three teens dropped Lair Camp off at a South Georgia hospital after an encounter leaving friends and family heartbroken. It's a sad signal. I have those kids. They get charged. The report shows doctors told police Lair Camp was found unresponsive after drinking vodka and antidepressants. and that his clothes were soaked with urine and that he had spray paint all over his body and hair.
Starting point is 00:24:00 A friend of the teen sharing some of what he says his friend endured with our Atlanta affiliate, WXIA. They forced a whole handle bottle of teed us down him. The police report confirming the blood alcohol level was more than five times the legal limit for adults. I'd say it's attempted murder, or at least torture, and I mean, he was unconscious in these barbarians that did this to him, dropped him off at the yard. At least they did that. Even worse, the report says Laircamp's father told police this isn't the first time his son's been the target of such bullying. This video initially posted on Snapchat is now circulating on social media of another incident, showing Ler Camp being hosed in a chair, as those standing by seemed to call out his name.
Starting point is 00:24:49 That picture of him in the chair and the video of him being posed, are those two separate nights? That is what, that is correct. The police report adds earlier this month, Larakam's father told police his son came home covered in WD-40, vomit, paint, glue, egg yolk, and spray paint. Family sharing their pain in a phone call with our Atlanta affiliate, WXIA. So disturbing and disgusting what these kids. did to him. The Glen County School District where Lair Camp was formerly a student, confirmed the off-campus incident involved several of our former and current students, adding they are cooperating with the ongoing investigation. No justice. No peace. No justice. No peace. Late Monday, hundreds
Starting point is 00:25:37 held a vigil outside the teens hospital. He was a very sweet, goofy, intelligent kid. Offering support for the family as authorities pieced together exactly who is responsible. I would ask that folks not be afraid to speak up. And Morgan Chesky joins us now. Morgan, we just heard from police there. Do we know anything more about where the investigation stands? Alison, we do. Police say this remains a very active investigation,
Starting point is 00:26:04 and they add that the FBI is now involved in learning more. And while they have confirmed that those minors in both the photo and video have been identified, there have been no formal charges filed at this time. Alison. Morgan, thank you. We want to turn now to a classroom controversy in Florida. Growing outrage tonight after an elementary school near Tampa temporarily pulled a civil rights movie by Disney. Sixty two years ago, Ruby Bridges faced discrimination in her school.
Starting point is 00:26:33 Now her story is under fire again. NBC's Valerie Castro has more. Tonight, a made-for-TV Disney movie about a six-year-old civil rights icon deemed, quote, not for second graders by a Florida parent, leading to its temporary ban. Two men in the front car were walking in front of it. We'll all go into building together. Ruby Bridges, the 1998 film about one of the first black children to integrate an all-white school in 1960s, New Orleans, is now shelved by the Pinellas County School District. The movie portrays the real-life student as she faced protesters and racial slurs walking into school flanked by federal marshals. Before showing the film, parents of children at the elementary school were asked to fill out a permission slip, according to a district spokesperson.
Starting point is 00:27:26 But one parent also filled out this complaint form, objecting to specific words in the film and concerns, it would teach young students, quote, racial slurs, how they are different, and white people hate black people. A school district spokesperson telling NBC News in a statement, it was communicated with the parent that the school, would not have any future showings during this school year as the movie had already been shown. Also saying the elementary school is expected to engage in the formal objection process to review the film. Earlier in the year, the same district pulled the book, The Bluest Eye by Tony Morrison from high school libraries after a parent complained about a rape scene. Students protested for its return. That is not the purpose of those passages in the bluest eye.
Starting point is 00:28:10 It is to shock and horrify readers into empathy for this character. Ultimately, as a district, we have an obligation to follow the law. One of the laws he cited knew this year. No taxpayer dollars should be used to teach our kids to hate our country or to hate each other. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis' Stopwoke Act and Florida Parenthoodle Rights and Education Act are laws that restricts some race-inclusive teachings in schools and gives parents more power in their complaints. critics have called the laws racially motivated censorship. We don't know and understand history. We're about to repeat it.
Starting point is 00:28:52 Some community leaders now questioning the district's decision to hit pause on showing Ruby Bridges, highlighting the six-year-old protagonist for anyone who thinks it's not age-appropriate. What better way to teach second graders or anyone else in the school system that those kind of behaviors displayed by some. in the crowd, I inappropriate and shouldn't be replicated or duplicated. One black-led organization worries it's all to the detriment of the classroom. I'm not sure that we can avoid those ill effects because of what is happening in a climate that is being created, but I don't think it's a good one. Valerie Castro joins us now in studio.
Starting point is 00:29:33 Valerie, you're reporting there. You say this book, or this movie, rather, is temporarily banned. Do we know how the school plans to proceed? So that is still under review. parent that filed the complaint about this movie said that they also thought it was more appropriate for an eighth great history class. And if it wasn't possible to remove it from the elementary school approved list of films, then the school should send a letter home explaining the material. The district spokesperson tells NBC News the movie remains available through the
Starting point is 00:29:59 district's licensed movie library. All right, Valerie Castro, thank you. When we come back, a scary situation on the Ohio River, 10 barges breaking loose, one of them containing a potentially dangerous chemical. Why efforts to salvage that vessel have been delayed? Stay with us. trial on murder and assault charges after he allegedly punched 70-year-old Sandra Shells when she was trying to commute to work. That attack calls shells to fall and strike her head on the concrete. She was later declared brain dead and died of the hospital where she'd worked for 38 years. Friends and colleagues described her as a people lover, someone who was always eager to help others, someone who will forever be remembered for her compassionate care and
Starting point is 00:31:06 unmatched dedication to her patients and the community. is due back in court on April 10. A standoff with police in Wisconsin ended shortly after the suspects fell through a ceiling. Security video shows two suspects ordering an employee into a back office at gunpoint. This happened at a Codoba restaurant in Glendale. Officers eventually arriving on scene when the suspects crawl into the ceiling. After about an hour, the ceiling gives way and they both fall to the ground. An 18-year-old man and a 16-year-old girl were taken into custody.
Starting point is 00:31:42 Ten barges, including one containing 1,400 tons of methanol, broke loose from a vessel in the Ohio River. Officials say at least two are still stuck in a dam in Louisville, Kentucky. At least one is submerged and one is damaged. The barge company says salvage operations may be delayed due to high river levels and strong current. The city of Louisville says they continue to test the air quality, and so far, they say they have no evidence of potential health risks. And a group of swimmers in Hawaii are being accused of dolphin harassment. That's right, dolphin harassment. Dron footage shows the group of 33 people swimming towards a pot of dolphins off the coast of the Big Island. Authorities say the group
Starting point is 00:32:23 corralled, harassed, and swam aggressively towards the mammals. Federal law bans the act of swimming within 50 yards of spinner dolphins. Cases have been opened against each of those swimmers. And we turn now to major health news. The FDA approving NARCAN, a nasal spray version of Nalaxon, which I always say wrong, but luckily we have an expert here to correct me in a minute. And they've approved it for over-the-counter sales directly to consumers. So in recent years, the United States has seen a sharp uptick in drug-involved overdose deaths. And experts say NARCAN is really a key tool to prevent more casualties amid this worsening overdose crisis. So if we're more on this latest development and what it could do to curb the crisis,
Starting point is 00:33:08 I'm joined now by NBC News Medical Fellow, Dr. Akshay Sayal. First things first, correct me on proper pronunciation there. Naxalone. Naxone. Every time. Okay, this is a very big deal, though, right? This is a serious issue in this country. The fact that people can more easily get access to NARCAN, a lot of advocates say this is a great
Starting point is 00:33:27 positive step. Why is it so important that people are able to more easily access this? has been available in the past. Yeah, Alison, it's really, it is a big step. It's a big step for us fighting the drug crisis. As you just said, there's about 100,000 debts in the United States alone from drug overdoses. Most of those are from opiate-related drug overdoses. And so what's really new here is it's about the stigma.
Starting point is 00:33:52 So before you could get Narcan, you could go ask a pharmacist. You know, I'd like Narcan. I'd like a prescription for Narcan. You could ask your doctor. And many states had what we call standing orders, meaning that you could go ask a pharmacist without a prescription for one. But what's really new here is the stigma. We want to get this in a vending machines into convenience stores.
Starting point is 00:34:09 That way you don't have to ask people. You can avoid that awkward conversation that some people might feel embarrassed to ask for it. They might be worried about seeing in a way that they don't want to be seen. And that's really what today is about getting it just like hypotanol or IV profen, just really easy to get access to. Okay, so two questions for you. Who should be carrying Narcan and how do you use it? So if you want to carry Narcan, if you're somebody who's at risk, or somebody who's, somebody at risk, a family member, who maybe they're taking opiates for chronic back pain,
Starting point is 00:34:37 or maybe they just already have, unfortunately, an opiate addiction. You want to have Narcan handy. You want to leave the house with phone, wallet, keys, and you want to have that Narcan, too. Now, how do you use it? I actually have one here, and the best example I can really give you is it's almost like a flonase or like a nasal allergy spray. So you put two fingers here, and you see this red trigger button. Yeah.
Starting point is 00:34:56 You just put this, you get this into someone's nose, and you just press that, and within a couple minutes, they should wake up if it's an opiate overdose. But Ellison, most important thing, even if they do wake up, you want to call 911 because this doesn't last in the body that long. Some opiates might last longer, and you worry that they could go back into an overdose. And it's just one squirt, or is it one in each side? It's just one squirt every two minutes you can use it, but you really have to call 911. Okay. Next question.
Starting point is 00:35:22 If you are in a situation where you think there's a possibility someone might be overdosing on opioids, but you're not entirely sure. What should you look for to know whether or not this person needs Narcan? Yeah, there's some classic signs we look for, and the CDC actually has a great, great website on this, but some things we look for, you know, pinpoint pupils. If you look into someone's eyes, are they really, really, their pupils are really tiny, almost like a pinpoint. Are they, are they not breathing as well as they should? Are they, you know, sometimes their body can turn blue because it's not getting enough oxygen. Then you also look for choking or gurgling sounds, meaning they're having problems swallowing and they're not able to clear those secretions as well. And so all those things together can really point you towards an opiate overdose. And another reason why you should have Narcan handy. Is there any sort of risk that someone says, okay, I've never seen someone overdose before? I see something happening and I think maybe it is, but I'm also worried about using Narcan because what if it's just a minor medical emergency or what if it's something totally different? What if it's a stroke? If I administer Narcan and they're not on drugs or they're
Starting point is 00:36:21 on something other than opioids, am I going to do harm to this person? What's your advice in that situation? Can using Narcan in the wrong situation, can that be dangerous? Excellent question. and this is one of my favorite parts about the drug, the answer is it's extremely safe. There really is no risk of giving somebody Narcan and not being an opiate overdose after all. The one thing that can happen in rare situations, an allergic reaction, just like to any other medication. But fortunately, that is really rare. Norkan is well tolerated. And if you give it to somebody and it turns out they're not overdosing, they'll be okay. So this is a device that can undoubtedly save lives. The more people having access to it, you seem to be saying consistently,
Starting point is 00:36:57 it's a great thing. But how much does something like this cost? That's the big question. So we're waiting to see how much insurance is going to cover this. But typically, as you know, for Tylenol or Advil over-the-counter, insurance doesn't really pay for that. And that's one of the big things we're watching for because there's data that shows that risks for fatal opiate overdoses are higher in areas where greater unemployment with greater poverty, with lack of education. So those kind of things we worry about will Narcan be affordable to them? Because otherwise, we're estimating about $60 for a pack of Narcan. And that's a lot of money to a lot of people. A lot of money, but also something that could save.
Starting point is 00:37:31 someone's lives. So thank you. We appreciate it. Anytime. Okay, we have new developments on a story we've been following here on top story. Law enforcement officials say several indictments and arrest warrants have been issued after a string of robberies and assaults targeting gay bars here in New York, left at least two men dead. Stephanie Gosk has our NBC News investigation. New York City's Hell's Kitchen, one of Manhattan's most dynamic neighborhoods, a favorite spot for the LGBTQ community. Now a target the NYPD says, for thieves, using a debilitating and sometimes deadly cocktail of drugs to steal from their victims, like 33-year-old John Umberger. He just loved the energy of the city. Umberger came
Starting point is 00:38:15 to New York last spring for work and fun. He ended up here at the queue. His mother says there's security camera footage of him leaving late at night with two unidentified men. Umberger's body was discovered in the apartment that he had been staying in his family says his phone and wallet were gone, and roughly $20,000 had been drained from his account. At first, the police believed the young political consultant's death was a drug overdose, not part of the crime, according to Umberger's mother, Linda Clary. The police wanted to just go with it was grand larceny. It was just a theft. Did you think in that moment, yeah, but there's something about the drugs that doesn't make
Starting point is 00:38:55 sense to me? Correct. She was convinced after her sister sent her this NBC News article about 25-year-old. Julio Ramirez. She just said, Linda, this is odd, but you need to read this. This just has a weird similarity. Ramirez was found dead in a taxi after leaving the Ritz Bar and Lounge in Hell's Kitchen last April. Police said he died of an apparent drug overdose. The family tells NBC News, tens of thousands of dollars were stolen from his accounts, too. It became very clear that this was rampant with many victims.
Starting point is 00:39:31 and different groups or different rings doing the same thing. How do you watch someone die and then walk out the door and start using their credit cards to drink and eat? Tonight, 10 months after her son's death, two law enforcement officials say there are indictments. The DA issuing arrest warrants for six men allegedly involved in 17 robberies, some facing murder charges. And it doesn't stop there. The medical examiner's office tells NBC News it is involved in the investigation of several additional deaths in similar circumstances. The DA would not comment while the NYPD says it is still investigating. These criminals have realized that they can go out and victimize people, get them very drunk or drug them, and access their online banking accounts.
Starting point is 00:40:23 You think they're actually using someone's face when they're unconscious to unlock their banking apps? Yeah. Sometimes they hold the phone up to their face and use their face. Bouncer Sterling Cox says the neighborhood is on high alert. When people come to the front door, we remind them, not warn them, just remind them to keep an hour on their drinks. For Linda Clary, the fact that most of the victims have been gay adds to her family's pain. To see a group of people who have been persecuted just for being themselves targeted just really hurts. And it just, it angers me. It grieves me.
Starting point is 00:41:02 She is hopeful her son's story will be a warning that may save people's lives. Stephanie Gosk, NBC News, New York. Our thanks to Stephanie. A new warning tonight about the potential dangers of artificial intelligence. Elon Musk and more than a thousand tech leaders signing a letter calling for a pause on the development of AI, saying it could pose, quote, profound risks to society and humanity. That warning coming as criminals are fined. new ways to exploit AI to try and scam you. NBC's Emily Aketa has more.
Starting point is 00:41:36 It's a phone call John Bridges will never forget. I said, what's wrong? What's wrong? She goes, I've had an accident and I need your help. His daughter panicked and crying before another voice gets on the line. He goes, I'm wanting to give your daughter back to you, but I need some cash. Bridges says he didn't end up giving money to the scammer, thanks to his quick-thinking wife, who called their actual daughter to confirm she wasn't being held hostage, but he got close, even grabbing cash from home and driving it to a meetup location. When I first heard my daughter's voice, I mean, it was my daughter's voice. It convinced me that that was her.
Starting point is 00:42:13 Calls like this have the Federal Trade Commission sounding the alarm this month. Warning of advancing artificial intelligence used to simulate someone's voice in imposter scams, the most commonly reported fraud in 2022, with losses jumping. to $2.6 billion last year. It's critical that people are aware of this technology is out there, and that it's really very good. Voice cloning isn't a new concept, but it's becoming more accessible, accurate,
Starting point is 00:42:40 and easier to use thanks to AI. Cybersecurity expert Tiago Enriquez, who says he's now seeing insurance claims for this kind of fraud, showed us just how easy it is. We're going to try and find some audio samples of you. He pulled videos from my social media, social media and uploaded clips to one of a growing number of voice cloning programs. So it's literally a matter of dragging and dropping audio clips into this program.
Starting point is 00:43:04 That's it. Then came typing what to say. And with the click of a button, I already tried to call the bureau. It was weird. No one answered. Sounds pretty good. But could I fool a colleague with it? Hello.
Starting point is 00:43:16 Are you crazy busy? I forgot my corporate card. Oh no. Can I borrow yours real quick? I just need to pay for a few things. I'll get the receipts. It wasn't perfect. There were delays.
Starting point is 00:43:25 and some sentences sounded more genuine than others, but... I got to run out and get my wallet. It worked. Thank you so much. Call you in a bit. My colleague later stunned by the generated audio's accuracy. I cried myself on never falling for that stuff. Experts say to make sure you don't fall for it, be skeptical whenever asked for money in any form.
Starting point is 00:43:47 Don't rely on the caller ID. Those can be faked. And even if it sounds like a loved one calling, hang up and call the person yourself. Are we going to see an increase in this sort of thing? I believe we are. As attackers get more familiar with these technologies, what they can do with it, how to operate them, we are going to see an increase in scam attacks.
Starting point is 00:44:08 New technology requiring new lines of defense. Emily Ikeda, NBC News, New York. When we come back, protests erupting in Kenya, smoldering damage seen across the capital city, more than 200 people arrested. fueling this public unrest. Stay with us. We're back now with Top Stories Global Watch, religious leaders and human rights group calling for a calm in Kenya following a second week of anti-government protests. New video shows the damage in Nairobi after another round of demonstrations in the capital city.
Starting point is 00:44:49 The country's opposition leader has called for weekly protests over the high cost of living and accusations of election fraud by the current president. So far, at least one student has been killed and over 200 people arrested. In Oman, heavy rains causing massive flooding in northern cities. Video shows streams of muddy floodwater enveloping roads in the northeastern city of Nizwa. Heavy rains fell continuously from Monday evening into Tuesday afternoon, triggering flooding in lower areas. Police are telling people to leave low-lying areas that are prone to runoff. and to not cross the valley in cars until the water clears.
Starting point is 00:45:28 And in Switzerland, the latest climate change lawsuit coming from a group of seniors. The group, senior women for climate protection, is suing the Swiss government for failing to protect them against worsening heat waves created by climate change. Government data shows there has been an increase in heat-related deaths among the elderly in recent years. The Swiss government says they are taking action but declined a comment on the lawsuit. When we come back competing against all odds, a Ukrainian soccer team escaping a Russian occupation of their home city, their inspirational journey, back to the pitch. Coming up. left of them are patrolled and occupied by Russian forces, and it's been that way for close to a year now.
Starting point is 00:46:29 Most of the buildings there have been reduced to rubble, but one of the city's soccer teams plays on every pass, every goal in act of resistance and pride for the Maripal their players knew so well. Matt Bradley reports. It's never easy to be a professional female athlete, but for Maripole's women's soccer club, the challenges of the past here. would be enough to make most give up. Being down four goals in this game, that's the least of their worries. When Yana Vena Kurova and Karina Kulikovska started Maripul-FSI women's club,
Starting point is 00:47:04 they sold baked goods to help finance the team. Their uniforms were hand-me-downs from male players, but war has a way of putting things into perspective. Russia's invasion hollowed out their hometown. It's the 16th day of the day of the country. the war. I am swollen. We sleep in the basement.
Starting point is 00:47:27 Not really. When the Russians invaded, the team did what they were used to do. They gathered together. All in all, they sheltered for about three weeks in Lana's basement. The players still remember the horrors outside. It was very dangerous for us to move around. It was total agony and chaos. The real, the scariest moment was when we started to see dead bodies all around the street.
Starting point is 00:48:03 As the sound of artillery grew closer, the women found solace in their training. We were lucky in the sense that we were sportsmen, so we know, we know how to cooperate, we are disciplined, and we immediately divided all the responsibilities, who makes fire, who brings water. Finally, the team decided to make a run for it. The women piled into a van, fleeing abroad and bringing their pets along with them. But even as the war kept raging, the game and Ukraine kept calling. In August, we were told that the national football championship is going to be restored. So we decided to go to Ukraine to play football.
Starting point is 00:48:47 We caught up with them in a recent game in Ukraine's capital, Kiev. The playing was strong, but the score was a bit lopsided. Mariupil F.C. losing 8 to 0 to Nipa. But no matter, this team is playing for more than wins. They're playing for Mariupil, a city that's now under Russian occupation, or rather what's left of it. What do you think about Mariupil now? You're still playing under the name Mary Opel, but the city almost doesn't exist.
Starting point is 00:49:18 Walls are not your home. is home. It's difficult for me because I still have family there. Can you tell me what this means? This? Mm-hmm. Mariupil is Ukraine. It's to say our city is Ukraine and it's in our hearts and that everybody knows we're from Maripal.
Starting point is 00:49:47 What's written on our jerseys matters. more important is what's in our hearts. Thanks so much for watching Top Story. I'm Ellison Barber in New York.

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